Sandwich Tag

National Hamburger Day - of course it's necessary to have a day just for that delicious American staple equal if not surpassing apple pie and baseball. But how did the hamburger first become associated with America...

A Brief History of the Hamburger*

Putting a piece of meat between two slices of bread is not an invention of recent centuries. Similar foods had existed in Europe as far back as Genghis Khan, specifically minced meat made into patties (can you say steak tartare) that him and his followers then introduced to Moscow, Russia. Russian ships brought recipes using steak tartare to the Port of Hamburg; the city states that now comprise Germany adopted this minced meat and began making their own dishes. Hamburg being an important port in the 18th century for those traveling from the Old World to the new brought with them to America their recipes including the meat patties. While not yet a hamburger, a similar idea was set in place by the 4th Earl of Sandwich, an English aristocrat, in 1765 when he requested his meal to fit between two pieces of bread so he could eat and keep his hands clean while playing cards.

Ultimate grilled cheese sandwiches are what's on the menu today to celebrate National Grilled Cheese Day! The traditional grilled cheese sandwich is a childhood staple, usually alongside a bowl of warm tomato soup. But now we're adults, and adults need some serious, gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches!

Cooking Tips for a Successful Grilled Cheese:

Use a seasoned cast iron skillet or a cast iron electric skillet to make grilling easier

Put a healthy pat of butter in the warmed pan and let it melt before grilling your sandwich

Aim for a low-medium heat so as not to burn your bread before your fillings are melted and cooked.

Cook each side about 3-5 minutes or until toasty, golden brown.

Ultimate Grilled Cheese Recipes:

Tuna, Tomato and Cheddar Grilled Cheese

Whip together a tuna salad with mayo, diced onions, diced celery, salt, pepper, and dill relish. Cut some thick tomato slices, season them with salt and pepper and layer everything between two pieces of bread with cheddar cheese slices.

It's National Croissant Day - with a name like ours it would be a crime not to celebrate! While we contemplated a big company party, we thought it would be more fun to share with you our recipes, favorite locations and more on how to celebrate this tasty and flaky day.

History of the Croissant

But first, some history. While many think of croissants as the quintessential French pastry, the croissant was actually invented in Austria. It's 1683 and the Turkish Empire has surrounded Vienna, Austria with plans of invading the city. These plans included digging tunnels and surprising the city from underground. However, they were not expecting Vienna's bakers, who worked in basement storerooms and heard the noises from the Turkish army's tunneling efforts. The bakers alerted the army and the siege was thwarted. To celebrate, the bakers baked their bread in a crescent shape, the symbol of the Turkish Empire. It then became customary to eat these crescent shaped pastries with coffee in the morning... at least that is how the legend goes.
So how did the croissant become synonymous with France? Supposedly, the Austrian-born princess, Marie Antonia, who married the French Douphin and became the legendary Marie Antoinette, introduced the pastries to the French aristocracy who dubbed them "Croissants".

Today is Moldy Cheese Day! While you may be wondering what there is to celebrate about moldy cheese, we are here to share with you a recipe to silence your questioning.
We recently catered a luncheon for the ICA's Culinary Journey through Utah that featured our...